Quite where Danny Cipriani will be playing his rugby next season remains unclear but this was the latest glimpse of his rare talents as he prepares for the next chapter of his career. The enigmatic fly-half, who is leaving Wasps at the end of the campaign and is expected to move to France to join…
Author: THEJOHNANTONIOBLOG
Sports quiz of the week: England v Netherlands, Gareth Bale and meat
José Mourinho or Donald Trump: who said it?
Newcastle resist fightback as Billies’ boots fail to convert Gloucester tries
The unthinkable becomes ever more likely. Newcastle claimed their sixth away win of the season to strengthen their position in the top four, a new face among the usual suspects at the top of the English game. They rode the worst of the Beast From You Know Where and the loss of Toby Flood on…
Finn Russell masterminds historic Scotland victory over England
Two years ago Scotland started against England here, following a rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland, like a deflated set of bagpipes. This time they matched their crowd and were at full bellow as they played with a sustained, controlled fury to record their first victory over the Auld Enemy for 10 years and throw…
Jacob Stockdale surges past Wales to keep Ireland’s grand slam hopes alive
Another fabulous match between these two, who so love to spar with each other and invariably raise us from their seats when they do. It took Ireland until the very death to put Wales away, but the manner in which the visitors hung in there despite overwhelming pressure from their hosts was a marvel in…
Stuart Lancaster pledges future to Leinster amid Harlequins speculation
Stuart Lancaster is not interested in the vacant job at Harlequins and has ruled out a return to the Aviva Premiership in the immediate future. The former England head coach wants to remain involved at Leinster, who face Racing 92 in the European Champions Cup final in Bilbao on Saturday. There has been speculation linking…
Warren Gatland rests Wales’ Lions but plans new role for George North
Wales have rested all but two of their 12 players who toured New Zealand with the Lions last year for next month’s game against South Africa in Washington and two Tests in Argentina. The Gloucester flanker Ross Moriarty and the Northampton wing George North, who are joining Dragons and Ospreys respectively in the summer, have…
Mathieu Bastareaud the cult hero matures to give France stability
The foreword to Mathieu Bastareaud’s book Tête Haute (Head Held High), in which the Frenchman lays bare his soul, is written by Jonny Wilkinson. He speaks of the honour and privilege of playing alongside Bastareaud at Toulon but, first, he recalls the centre’s arrival at the club – “for an Englishman, he represented a real mystery”. Plus…
Warren Gatland reaches 100 with Wales but admiration remains elusive
Warren Gatland will on Saturday reach 100 Test matches as Wales’s coach. He will get to the landmark 20 years to the day since he took over from Brian Ashton in charge of Ireland: his sacking three years later, in circumstances that read like something from a spy novel, remains the low point in his…
Six Nations organisers hope to avoid bonus-point anticlimax
The Six Nations organisers will come under pressure to reverse their stance on bonus points if they decide the title winners in the penultimate round of matches on Saturday. If Ireland pick up a four-try bonus point in a victory at home to Scotland and England fail to do so in France, Joe Schmidt’s side…